Chevrolet Silverado Key Replacement Fort Worth by Generation

As of July 2026: Silverado key replacement in Fort Worth

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 is one of the best-selling trucks in America and one of the most common vehicles on DFW jobsites, yards, and driveways. It is also a truck whose key changed three distinct times across the generations you still see every day — from a chunky PK3+ transponder key with a separate remote, to a one-piece remote-head flip key, to a flat push-button proximity smart fob. Each one carries a different chip, a different FCC-ID, and a different price, and knowing which you have is the fastest way to a quote that actually matches what you pay.

This guide is built the way a Silverado owner needs it: platform by platform, year range by year range. For each generation you will find the key type, a commonly documented FCC-ID example you can verify against your own fob, the chip and blank detail, and the Fort Worth mobile-service band as of July 2026. We serve Fort Worth and the surrounding cities — Arlington, North Richland Hills, Hurst, Bedford, Euless, Grapevine, Keller, Benbrook, Saginaw, and White Settlement — and every price reflects on-site mobile work, not a dealer counter quote.

What a Silverado key costs up front

Here are the bands that apply to the Silverado. Your exact number depends on the key type, whether a working key still exists, and the model year:

• PK3+ transponder key or remote-head flip key: $120–$200 with cutting and programming.
• T1XX push-button proximity smart fob: $220–$500 depending on trim and fob generation.
• All-keys-lost on a smart-fob truck: $180–$450 for the programming session, plus fob hardware.
• Extra or spare key/fob added with a working key present: roughly $65 in hardware on top of programming.
• Ignition cylinder repair or replacement: $150–$400 if the lock itself is the fault.
• Lockout (keys locked in the truck): $75–$200 depending on time and access.

As with any modern truck, the spare added while you still have a working key is the cheapest insurance you can buy. The distance between a roughly $65 spare add and a $180–$450 all-keys-lost session is the entire argument for handling the second key before the first one disappears at a jobsite.

How GM's theft-deterrent system decides your price

Every Silverado in this guide has a GM theft-deterrent system that refuses to start the engine without a valid key credential. On older trucks that system is PK3+ — GM's PassKey III+ transponder architecture, sometimes stamped "Circle Plus" — which reads an RFID chip in the key. On newer trucks it is a transponder-and-body-control-module handshake, and on the current push-button trucks it is a continuous proximity exchange between the smart fob and the keyless controller. In every case, the module is the authority, not the metal blade.

This security is federal policy with a measurable payoff, not a GM upsell. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents that engine immobilizers reduce theft rates on equipped vehicles, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has tracked the same effect across its theft-loss data. Trucks are frequent theft targets, so GM's system is doing real work — and it is exactly why a blank cut at a hardware kiosk turns the lock but never starts the engine.

The practical upshot for pricing: an older PK3+ transponder is inexpensive hardware, while a T1XX proximity fob is expensive hardware with an encrypted rolling code. That is why the bands step up as you move from GMT900 to K2XX to T1XX — the system gets more sophisticated and the fob costs more to source and program.

Generation by generation: the Silverado key breakdown

Here is the single reference table for the Silverado 1500, covering the three platforms most commonly on the road. FCC-IDs are commonly documented examples — GM ran variants across the same years, so confirm your exact key by reading the FCC-ID on the back of your own fob and by giving your VIN and trim when you call.

2007–2013 (GMT900)

The GMT900 Silverado uses a PK3+ transponder key paired with a separate remote for the door locks. The key carries an RFID chip and is commonly cut on a B111-PT-style blank; the remote is a standalone fob. Because the hardware is inexpensive and the PK3+ programming is well-supported by independent tooling, this generation sits in the $120–$200 transponder band. The variable on these older trucks is the ignition lock: a worn PK3+ cylinder can produce a security-light no-start that mimics a key failure, which is why a credentialed operator scans the module before cutting. If the cylinder itself is the fault, ignition work runs in the $150–$400 range on top of the key.

2014–2018 (K2XX)

The K2XX Silverado moved to a one-piece remote-head flip key — the transponder blade folds into a housing with the lock, unlock, and remote-start buttons built in — cut on the GM HU100 blade. On these trucks the FCC-ID is commonly documented as M3N-32337100. This is one of the most frequently replaced Silverado keys we see, because the generation is abundant and the flip mechanism takes wear: a cracked hinge or water-damaged remote takes the whole key with it. It remains a $120–$200 job with cutting and programming. Confirm the FCC-ID on your existing flip key, since matching the variant is what keeps the programming clean.

2019–present (T1XX): base WT and Custom

Here is where the Silverado key splits, and it is the single most important thing to know before you call. On the current T1XX platform, base Work Truck and Custom trims kept a remote-head flip key on the HU100 blade — the same $120–$200 kind of job as the K2XX generation. If your Silverado has a bladed flip key and no push-button start, you are in the transponder band regardless of the model year.

2019–present (T1XX): LT and up

Higher T1XX trims — LT, RST, LTZ, High Country — moved to push-button start with a flat proximity smart fob, commonly carrying the FCC-ID HYQ1EA or HYQ1ES. That smart fob lands in the $220–$500 band, and an all-keys-lost on one runs the $180–$450 lost-fob session plus hardware. Two Silverados from the same year and the same nameplate can therefore have very different keys and very different prices — so when you call, lead with the trim and whether the truck starts with a button, not just "a 2021 Silverado."

All-keys-lost versus adding a spare

The biggest single swing in what you pay comes down to one question: do you still have a working key? It changes both the method and the money.

Adding a spare is the easy case. Because a working key already authorizes the module, a new key or fob is added in a short programming session. On a Silverado this is why an extra key or fob is roughly $65 in hardware plus a modest programming charge — the module is already unlocked by your existing credential, so the operator simply teaches it one more.

All-keys-lost is the hard case. With no working key, the theft-deterrent system has to be put into a learn state through the data port before any new credential will take. On a PK3+ transponder or a K2XX flip-key truck that still lands in the $120–$200 band. On a T1XX push-button smart-fob truck it climbs to the $180–$450 lost-fob session plus the cost of the fob, because the proximity fob is expensive hardware and the reset takes longer. The lesson is the same either way: the cheapest Silverado key you will ever buy is the spare you program before you need it.

Mobile versus the Chevy dealer

For nearly every Silverado key job, a mobile locksmith is both faster and cheaper than the dealer counter. Your truck is usually at home, a jobsite, or a yard — and a mobile operator comes to it, cuts the key, and programs the theft-deterrent system on-site with no tow. A dealer all-keys-lost, by contrast, typically means towing the truck in and waiting for an appointment, because a truck that will not start cannot drive itself to the service lane.

The cost gap is real. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks locksmith and safe-repair wages as a distinct skilled trade, and dealer service departments layer a service-writer markup on top of that labor, commonly running well above an independent operator's flat rate for the same programming. Over the life of the truck, ownership costs compound: the AAA Your Driving Costs study puts unscheduled maintenance and downtime among the larger swings in annual operating cost, and a stranded work truck adds lost billable hours on top for a working owner.

The dealer still wins in a narrow set of cases: an open recall or warranty issue tied to the immobilizer, or a brand-new platform variant independent tooling has not caught up to. For everything else — spare adds, PK3+ transponders, flip keys, and the vast majority of smart-fob work — mobile is the better call.

On Silverados the split I always confirm is the trim and whether it is push-button. A Work Truck is a flip-key job in the transponder band and a High Country is a proximity fob at more than double the price, and both can wear the same year on the door. I read the FCC-ID off the customer's fob and match it to the VIN before I source anything. On the older PK3+ stuff, I scan the module first — a worn ignition lock throws a security light that looks exactly like a dead key, and cutting a new key there just burns the customer's money.

— ALOA Master Automotive Locksmith (MAL), GM theft-deterrent specialist, DFW metroplex (anonymized)

Verifying an operator before they drive out protects you. The Federal Trade Commission's guidance on hiring a locksmith warns against anyone who commits to a repair before diagnosing it and recommends confirming licensing and a written quote up front. In Texas, automotive locksmiths operate under the Texas Department of Public Safety Private Security program — not the TDLR — and a credentialed operator will also be registered through the NASTF Vehicle Security Professional program, which governs access to OEM security data. Asking for both is fair, and a real operator answers in seconds.

What to have ready when you call

A tight quote depends on a few facts. Have these ready and the price you are quoted before dispatch will match what you pay:

• Exact model year and trim. "2021 Silverado LT" beats "a Silverado" — the trim decides the key type from 2019 onward.
• Does it start with a button? Push-button start means a proximity fob; a turn-key ignition means a flip or transponder key.
• Do you have a working key? Spare add versus all-keys-lost hinges entirely on this.
• The FCC-ID off your fob. Flip it over and read the printed FCC-ID; it removes guesswork on the exact variant.
• Your VIN. It confirms the factory key configuration and catches running changes within a generation.

With those, a competent Fort Worth operator gives you a real price band before anyone drives out — the whole reason to call a mobile locksmith instead of towing to a dealer counter. Start with our Chevrolet brand page, read the deeper GM theft-deterrent system service page, or compare notes on our broader Chevrolet key replacement guide. If your truck has no working key, the all-keys-lost service page covers that specific job, and general pricing lives on the car key replacement cost page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Chevy Silverado key replacement cost in Fort Worth?

As of July 2026, an older Silverado PK3+ transponder key or a K2XX remote-head flip key runs $120–$200 with cutting and programming. A newer T1XX push-button smart fob for a higher trim runs $220–$500. An all-keys-lost on a smart-fob truck runs $180–$450 for the programming session plus fob hardware. An extra key or fob added with a working key present is roughly $65 in hardware.

What FCC-ID does my Silverado key use?

It depends on the generation. On 2014–2018 K2XX trucks the remote-head flip key is commonly FCC-ID M3N-32337100 on an HU100 blade; on 2019-and-up T1XX push-button trucks the smart fob is commonly FCC-ID HYQ1EA or HYQ1ES. Older GMT900 trucks use a separate PK3+ transponder key and a standalone remote. Confirm your exact key by reading the FCC-ID on your own fob and by VIN, because GM used more than one variant.

What is the GM PassKey / PK3+ system on my Silverado?

PK3+ is GM's transponder theft-deterrent system, sometimes called PassKey III+ or 'Circle Plus.' The key carries an RFID chip that the body control module reads before it will start the engine. On older GMT900 Silverados a bad ignition lock or a failed prior programming attempt can cause a security-light no-start that looks like a key problem, so a credentialed operator scans the module before cutting any key.

Does the base Silverado WT use a smart key or a flip key?

On the 2019-and-up T1XX platform, base Work Truck and Custom trims kept a remote-head flip key, while LT, RST, LTZ, and High Country trims moved to push-button start with a proximity smart fob. Two Silverados from the same year can have different keys and different prices, so confirm the trim and whether the truck has push-button start when you call.

Can a mobile locksmith program a Silverado key on-site?

Yes. GM's theft-deterrent programming is done through the truck's data port, so a credentialed operator cuts the blade and writes the new key or fob credential into the body control module right in your driveway or at a jobsite. No tow to a dealer is needed. All-keys-lost jobs take longer because the module has to be put into a learn state, but they are still handled on-site.

I lost all the keys to my Silverado — what does that cost?

All-keys-lost is priced by key type. On an older PK3+ transponder or a K2XX flip-key truck it lands in the $120–$200 band. On a T1XX push-button smart-fob truck the lost-fob session runs $180–$450 plus the fob hardware, because the module must be reset and a fresh credential learned with no existing key to authorize it. A mobile operator does the whole job at the truck, so there is no tow charge.

Why is my Silverado key turning but the truck will not start?

That is usually a theft-deterrent or immobilizer fault, not a cut-key problem. The blade turns fine but the chip-to-module handshake is failing. Common causes are a dead fob battery, a worn PK3+ ignition lock on older trucks, a body-control-module issue, or an anti-theft lockout from a prior failed programming attempt. A security light on the dash points specifically to the theft-deterrent system.

Is a locksmith or the Chevy dealer better for a Silverado key?

For almost every Silverado key job a mobile locksmith is faster and cheaper, because your truck is at home, a jobsite, or a yard and the operator comes to it with no tow. The dealer is the better path only for an open recall or warranty issue tied to the immobilizer, or a brand-new platform that independent tooling has not reached. For a spare-fob add, a locksmith is decisively cheaper than the dealer counter.

References & external sources

1. NHTSA — Anti-Theft Systems & FMVSS 114 — Federal standard governing immobilizers and their documented effect on theft rates.
2. IIHS — Vehicle Theft — Insurance Institute for Highway Safety data on theft loss and immobilizer effectiveness.
3. FTC Consumer Advice — Hiring a Locksmith — Federal Trade Commission guidance on verifying a locksmith before service.
4. NASTF Vehicle Security Professional (VSP) Program — Registry for credentialed access to OEM security data.
5. AAA — Your Driving Costs 2024 — Annual ownership-cost study including unscheduled maintenance and downtime.
6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Locksmiths & Safe Repairers — Occupational wage data for the locksmith trade.
7. Texas DPS — Private Security Licensing — Texas licensing authority for automotive locksmiths.
8. Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA) — Trade association governing the Master Automotive Locksmith (MAL) credential.

Related Pages

• Chevrolet Brand Page
• GM Theft-Deterrent System
• Chevrolet Key Replacement Guide
• All Keys Lost Service
• Car Key Replacement Cost